Safety-clasp for purses and the like.



W. MGILROY- SAFETY CLASP FOR PURSES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.10, 1908.

9045981 Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

INVENTOR 71 225507; .flf flroy W/ TNE SSE S 32W; ATTORNEYS r m: NORRIS r-srzns co., wAsnmcrdD, u. c.

WILLIAM MCILROY, OI" EMPIRE, PANAMA.

SAFETY-CLASP FOR PURSES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed. January 10, 1908. Serial No. 410,093.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Yunnan MolLnor, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Empire, Canal Zone, Panama, have invented a new and Improved Safety-Clasp for Purses and the Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to purses for the use of women, and has for its object to provide a compact, easily operated, novel device for detachably fastening a purse or a like receptacle upon the dress skirt or waist worn by the owner, in such a manner that the purse cannot be easily stolen; and also afford a neat ornamental auxiliary pocket for convenient service.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

lteference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the purse, showing the improvements thereon, which are in clasped adjustment on fabric of a garment, the section being taken substantially on the line 11 in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a front view of the purse, having the front wall of the upper portion removed, exposing novel details, the view being defined substantially by the broken line 22 in Fig. 1, seen in direction of the arrows, and Fig. 3 is a reduced rear view of the purse and of features of the invention thereon.

The body of the purse shown to illustrate the features of the invention, may be constructed of any suitable pliable material, tine finished leather being preferred.

As shown in F 2 and 3, said purse comprises two side walls of similar heart-shaped contour, indicating the front wall and 6 the rear wall thereof, said side walls being spaced apart in parallel planes a suitable distance, by an edge portion 7 of similar material, that is marginally secured upon the similar contours of the walls 5, 6. At. a

proper distance from the bottom of the purse, a mouth for the purse is produced that is constructed as follows:

A thin plate metal back wall 8, is formed at its edge to simulate the conventional shape of a heart, and is secured between two plies of leather that are imposed upon the front and rear sides of the plate, one ply (3, that is affixed upon the front face of the back wall,

being lapped at its edge portion over the margin of the other ply (3, which is secured upon the rear face thereof, said ply (3 being preferably an integral portion of the rear wall 6 of the purse body.

The back plate or wall 8, is at each side edge, furnished with a wing S that projects forwardly or toward the front wall 5, these similar wings having their forward edges sloped upward and rearward, as indicated for one wing in Fig. 1, and to give a finished appearance, they may each be covered with a leather lining secured thereto.

The front wall 5 of the purse body, is extended up from the lower edges of the wings S as an integral flap 5, having a contour similar to the edge of the rear jaw plate 8, so that the body and jaw portions of the purse are essentially heart-shaped in contour.

A preferably wire frame 9, bent to conform with the margin of the flap 5, is secured upon the inner surface of said flap at the edge portion of the latter, by sewing or other means, the leather being folded around the wire frame as indicated in Fig. l, to effect a neat finish. Upon the ends of the wire frame 9, that constitutes a stiffening member for the flap or jaw 5, similar journal ends a, a, are formed that project inwardly and oppositely, as indicated in Fig. 2.

On the forward ends of the wings S, at their lower forward corners, ears 7), b, are formed, that are laterally perforated for reception of the journal ends a, a, and is shown in Fig. 2, said journal ends project inward from the ears and receive on their ex tensions, the ends of wire springs 0, 0, which are secured to said ears and thence project upwardly, having their upper ends loosely secured upon the side members of the wire frame 9. The springs c, c, are so arranged that their tension will be exerted for the automatic closure of the front jaw of the mouth of the purse, so that it will be normally held in contact with the rear jaw, as shown in Fig. 1. Upon the rear surface of the rear jaw covering 6, a preferably inversely curved rod (Z, is secured by the clips 0, c, c, the end portions of said rod being bent rear- "ard and downward, as at (Z, producing similar depending hooks (Z thereon, as shown by full lines in Fig. 3 and dotted. lines in Fig. 2.

A rock shaft 9, is journaled in clip bands g, that are forwardly projected from the rear jaw of the purse, and is thus disposed in a horizontal position upon the front face of said jaw. At an equal distance from each end, two right angular bends 2', are formed in the rock shaft 9, from which project two depending arms 6.

In the plate or back wall 8 and its leather coverings opposite the arms 2', perforations are formed that are protected by eyelets m, which clamp the leather coverings fast to the back wall. The arms 2" have integral hook -members 2' formed thereon, that are loosely passed through the eyelets m and curve outward and upward near to and parallel with the depending hooks (Z Upon the depend ing arms 2 the respective ends of a tripping plate a are secured, which affords means for simultaneously rocking the hooks it being evident that. when the tripping plate is pendent the hooks will be projected upward their limit, and upon rocking the plate a upward, said hooks will be retracted correspondingly, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

A coiled spring 0 is mounted upon the rock shaft 9 having the ends 0 thereof projected as arms at right angles oppositely, one arm bearing upon the tripping plate a and the other one upon the rear jaw plate 8 or inner lining thereon, and it will be seen that the torsional force of the spring will serve to normally hold the tripping plate depressed and the hook members 2" elevated at the exterior of the back wall or jaw of the purse and properly spaced therefrom.

In attaching the purse upon a shirt waist, body of a dress or skirt of a garment, the hooks i are retracted by opening the purse and then rocking the tripping plate it upward, which will permit a hooked engagement of the pendent hooks (Z to be readily effected at a desired point on a garment, as indicated in the drawings. Upon releasing the tripping plate a, the force of the spring 0 will rock it downward and correspondingly project the hooks 2' upward through the fabric that had previously been penetrated by the pendent hooks (Z which will positively secure the purse upon the fabric of the dress, and prevent theft of the purse from being effected, unless the material is cut or the purse is held open and the plate a manipulated for release of the hooks, which Would be very difiicult to accomplish without detection by the owner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: Y

1. The combination with a receptacle open at one end, and a plate on one side wall defining the opening, having perforations therein and secured on the material of the receptacle, of two depending hooks on the plate, a shaft rockable on the inner side of said plate, depending arms on the ends of the rock shaft, upwardly turned hooks on the lower ends of said arms, said hooks being rockable through a wall of the receptacle, and means for rocking the shaft and hooks thereon.

2. The combination with a receptacle open at one end, and a plate having perforations.

therein reinforcing one side wall of the opening, of two depending hooks spaced apart and secured on the exterior of the side wall whereon the plate is fixed, a shaft rockable on the inner side of said side wall, two depending arms on the ends of said shaft, hooks on the lower ends of said arms curving outward and upward through the perforations in the plate, a tripping plate on the depending arms, and a spring on the rock shaft adapted for rocking said plate downwardly. i

3. The combination with a receptacle hav ing a pliable body, and an opening at one end thereof defined by two side walls, and a metalplate on one of said side walls reinforcing the pliable material thereof, said plate having two spaced perforations therein, of two depending hooks spaced apart and secured upon the outer side of the reinforcing plate, a shaft rockable on the opposite side of said plate, two depending arms on the ends of said rock shaft, hooks on the lower ends of said arms curved outward and upward through the spaced perforations in the reinforcing plate, a tripping plate secured on the depending arms, and a torsion spring on the rock shaft, engaging the tripping plate and the reinforcing plate, whereby the tripping plate is rocked downward and the hooks on the depending arms rocked upward through the spaced perforations.

4. A purse or the like having a pliable body, and an opening in one end defined by two side walls, a reinforcing plate secured on one side wall, said plate having two spaced perforations therein near its lower edge, two spaced hooks depending on the exterior of the reinforcing plate, two other hooks supported within the receptacle and rockable through the spaced perforations in the reinforcing plate, and spring pressed means engaging said rockable hooks for projecting them outward and upward through the spaced perforations.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in. the presence of. two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM MoILROY. lVitnesses C. PAGE,

A. F. VVAGER. 

